The brigade saw active service in World War I in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in 1917 and 1918. It remained in Palestine on occupation duties after the end of the war and was finally disbanded in November 1919.

When the 52nd (Lowland) Division was ordered to Gallipoli in May 1915, it left two of its field artillery brigades behind in the UK on the Forth Defences. III Lowland Brigade, RFA (T.F.) (1st, 2nd and 3rd Glasgow Batteries and Brigade Ammunition Column) rejoined the division in Egypt in March 1916, but I Lowland Brigade, RFA (T.F.) (1st and 2nd Edinburgh and Midlothian Batteries and Brigade Ammunition Column) proceeded to France in October 1915 where it was re-equipped with 18 pounders and joined 51st (Highland) Division.[4]

V Lowland Brigade, RFA (T.F.) was formed on 13 January 1916 at Leicester to replace I Lowland Brigade, RFA in 52nd Division. It consisted of the Essex, Hampshire and West RidingRHA Batteries and a Brigade Ammunition Column (BAC). Before departing for the Middle East, each of the batteries were re-equipped with four 18 pounders.[5]

The brigade embarked between 15 and 18 February 1916 at Devonport and arrived at Port Said on 2 March. It joined 52nd (Lowland) Division at El Qantara on 17 March in the Suez Canal Defences. The brigade was renumbered as CCLXIII Brigade, RFA (T.F.) on 28 May and Hampshire RHA as A Battery, Essex RHA as B Battery, and West Riding RHA as C Battery on the same date. On 15 September, the brigade was renumbered as CCLXIV Brigade, RFA (T.F.) and on 30 December back to CCLXIII Brigade, RFA (T.F.).[5]

Also on 30 December, C Battery (formerly West Riding RHA) was broken up: one section[c] went to A Battery (formerly Hampshire RHA) and the other section to B Battery (former Essex RHA).[5] The brigade now consisted of two batteries of six 18 pounders each.[8]

While with 52nd (Lowland) Division, the division took part in the Battle of Romani (4 and 5 August 1916)[9] and the First (26 and 27 March 1917) and Second (17 – 19 April 1917) Battles of Gaza.[10]

At the end of June 1917, arrangements were made to reform the brigade as a horse artillery brigade.[11] On 5 July 1917, the brigade exchanged its 18 pounders for 13 pounders and was redesignated as XX Brigade, RHA (T.F.).[5] Essex and Hampshire Batteries RHA were reformed with four 13 pounders each;[11] West Riding Battery RHA was not reformed at this point.[12][d]

The 4th Cavalry Division remained in Palestine on occupation duties after the end of the war. However, demobilization began immediately and most of the British war time units had left by May 1919.[17] The Berkshire and Leicestershire batteries were reduced to cadre in Egypt on 14 October 1919.[12] The Headquarters was disbanded on 2 November 1919.[18]

^The basic organic unit of the Royal Artillery was, and is, the Battery.[1] When grouped together they formed brigades, in the same way that infantry battalions or cavalry regiments were grouped together in brigades. At the outbreak of World War I, a field artillery brigade of headquarters (4 officers, 37 other ranks), three batteries (5 and 193 each), and a brigade ammunition column (4 and 154)[2] had a total strength just under 800 so was broadly comparable to an infantry battalion (just over 1,000) or a cavalry regiment (about 550). Like an infantry battalion, an artillery brigade was usually commanded by a Lieutenant-Colonel. Artillery brigades were redesignated as regiments in 1938. Note that the battery strength refers to a battery of six guns; a four-gun battery would be about two thirds of this.

^A Subsection consisted of a single gun and limber drawn by six horses (with three drivers), eight gunners (riding on the limber or mounted on their own horses), and an ammunition wagon also drawn by six horses (with three drivers).[6] Two Subsections formed a Section and in a six gun battery these would be designated as Left, Centre and Right Sections.[7]

^West Riding RHA was not reconstituted until 7 February 1920 when it formed 12th West Riding Battery in 3rd West Riding Brigade, RFA (later 71st (West Riding) Regiment, RA)[13] and ceased to be a Royal Horse Artillery battery.[14]

^British divisions were converted to the British Indian Army standard whereby brigades only retained one British regiment or battalion and most support units were Indian (artillery excepted).